(CNN) –“All we wanna do is adopt a highway,” said April Chambers, secretary of the North Georgia chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. “We're not doing it for publicity. We're doing it to keep the mountains beautiful. People throwing trash out on the side of the road ... that ain't right."

For many Americans, the Ku Klux Klan has been a symbol for terrorism, racism and evil in America, synonymous with burning crosses, lynchings and hooded men.

Even today, the name evokes vociferous discussion about the rights of a local group to adopt a highway in North Georgia, which was recently denied.

But is the latest effort to adopt a highway an introduction of a new era of a kinder, gentler Klan or merely an effort to gain attention? After more than a century and a half, what is the Ku Klux Klan today?

"We're not racists," Chambers told CNN Monday. "We just want to be with white people. If that's a crime, then I don't know. It's all right to be black and Latino and proud, but you can't be white and proud. I don't understand it."

Harley Hanson, who filed the application to adopt the highway for the International Keystone Knights Realm of Georgia, concurred: “I love my race. Does that make me wrong? I’m proud to be white,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Today, when speaking to leaders of the Klan, you won't hear racial epithets or a denunciation of any ethnic groups.

"We do not hate anyone,” said Frank Ancona, the imperial wizard of the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. “The true Ku Klux Klan is an organization that is looking out for the interests of the white race. It is a fraternal organization, and we do good works.”

Ancona's words are a contrast to criminal acts historically associated with the Klan - a divergence from intimidating images of hooded figures with lit crosses cutting through a dark night.

"We look out for the interest of our family first, I feel that other races feel the same way - it's a natural instinct, " he adds.

After all, who can argue with anyone about taking care of one's loved ones or cleaning up a national highway?

"These groups are interested in the press they know they are going to get off this - it doesn’t have anything to do with improving the world," said Mark Potok, editor in chief of the Intelligence Report, which tracks hate groups and extremists for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Potok concludes that it is not a kinder, gentler Ku Klux Klan but merely a sign of the times.

“Even the Klan recognizes there is no way that they can recreate America as an all-white country,” he said.

The group began as a fraternal organization, founded by Confederate veterans after the Civil War. At its height, Ku Klux Klan members were politicians, advertising gurus, journalists, businessmen and women with powerful political and social influence. In the 1920s, membership swelled to 4 million to 5 million, fueled in part by the popularity of "A Birth of a Nation," a 1915 silent film that extolled the virtues of the Klan. The civil rights era witnessed a resurgence of the group, and it still exists today with 4,000 to 5,000 members nationally.

"I wonder why they characterize us as a hate group? Who do we hate?" Ancona said. "I know what the perception is; people come up to us and they hate us."

When speaking to him via phone, Ancona insists that there is a not a "rebranding" of the KKK. Instead, there is a focus on the original values of the Klan that have been distorted by "rogue" members and a mischaracterization by media.

"We are doing all we can to dispel the negative images," said Ancona. "If we find out one of our members was charged with a crime, or immoral behavior, we might give them a warning first, but we try to keep a tight eye on that. We have a thorough screening process to weed out troublemakers. I can only speak for the Traditional Knights, but none of our members are criminals."

Ancona sends out Twitter messages, has a modest following and speaks earnestly about the traditions of the Klan. He speaks with special conviction when talking about the standard by which he strives to live.

"Jesus Christ is our criteria of character. If you look at Romans 12:1-2, that is how Klans are supposed to live, that is the standard, " he explained. "We do not burn the cross, we light the cross to show that Christ is the light of the world."

When pressed for how historical killings intersect with with Christian teachings of loving one another, he answers that the criticism the group faces is similar to the contempt directed at his example.

"We do this even though we know we will be hated and scorned, we sacrifice and serve for what's right - to uphold the principle that were taught by Jesus Christ of Nazareth and ensure that we give our children and their grandchildren America we had."

An independent contractor, Ancona says he is not paid for his work leading the Midwest chapter. He does the work "because I feel that I am doing something good for my fellow man."

"I would want people to know that we are here, and we are not to be feared. The Klan is looking out for the white race, to preserve our rights and our history. The Klan looks out for America as our forefathers did."

Mark Pitcavage, the director of investigative research for the Anti-Defamation League, characterizes Ancona's group as "sort of the big dog" of the Ku Klux Klan now.

Pitcavage is a former military historian who began researching militia minutemen and later right-wing extremism. He characterizes the Klan as "group of hard-core white supremacists that are motivated by a belief that the white race is in danger of extinction."

He says white supremacy is composed of five main movements: Neo-Nazis, traditional white supremacist groups, racist skinheads, racist prison gangs and Christian Identity, whose religious adherents believe they are descended from lost tribes of Israel.

The current Klan is not one cohesive group, and is considered one of the traditional white supremacist groups, which emerged in the the civil rights era.

"The situation that existed in the 1950s and '60s simply does not exist. The white supremacists are no longer in charge. They are now fighting for the very survival of the white race, and they have to fight to protect," said Pitcavage. "This is a fundamental difference of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1950s and today in the 21st century.”

In the past 60 years, several chapters of the Klan have made efforts to be involved in more civic-minded projects, such as adopting highways.

The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan - the Arkansas group that David Duke once led - tried doing it. There was also a group in Missouri that won a lawsuit to adopt a highway, and most recently, the North Georgia group that was denied the permit.

soundoff(1,791 Responses)

Paula Humbard

while I have been quiet over the years my interest and yearning for more meaningful life is knocking at my door. I really need help and I know there is only one place someone like me can turn to. I'm asking for help, so please contact me.

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28
If Klan members are supposed to follow the teachings of the Bible, maybe they should find another organization. All racial pride groups (KKK, Black Panthers, etc. ) do is create barriers between people where there shouldn't be any.

Sounds just like all the blacks today who work in the media. There is a war against white people. Oppose the enemy and do not turn on each other like they did in Iraq. All mass murders are caused by a cancerous parasite controlling a majority from jews in 2 European world wars to the USA being in Iraq to Israel existing in the Middle East to blacks causing the Civil War. All these wars were caused by jews and blacks or a cancerous minority being where it should not be creating hate in a country that turns on itself.

/ At its height, Ku Klux Klan members were politicians, advertising gurus, journalists, businessmen and women with powerful political and social influence."

The United States of America is not, nor has ever been a "white" country as nonwhites were here first. Also, genocide is the systematic and FORCEFUL destruction or elimination of a specific ethnicity, race, religion, etc. The key word is FORCEFUL. If the "white" race is indeed being eliminated, it is not by force. No one is forcing whites and nonwhites to mate. That is a choice made by the individuals.

Bio-archaeology has established that Whites were in N Am 10,000 yrs or so before the Asians.
So, since your history is false, what is your purpose in expressing such anti-white feelings?
The point is we have an ongoing genocide of the White race. Pro-whites are fighting this human rights violation. You are opposing that work.
That makes you anti-white. Are you proud of that or might you want to join us in our work to stop White genocide?
Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-white.

Forcing children to another group is apart of the UN Law of prevention of genocide btw, we're forced to be diverse and have no say about it, yet they do not so much as lift a finger to make the Detroit city council more diverse, to them full color is diverse, diversity is white genocide.

I grew up in Georgia.. My Grandfather was a 'Good ol boy' from Ceder town GA. He hung around with Herman Talmadge and a few other greats! My Grandfather was never a member of the Klan, but he had friends who were and as a little girl they were my friends also. i have loved all people with out prejudice and i have tried to raise my White sons that way.
BUT! I am sad to say that we are in trouble if we are White, male, Christian! I don't actually think we are racist,, from what I'v experienced, the black man is! We are under attack for our skin color now! They are not! I can't say i agree with the Klan on every level, but, for the first time in this country, I'm afraid for my White, male children ! We must organize with out the hate! We have been forced into this. We have a president that is very racist and now that he's in power again, the prejudice against, White, Christian, Males will worsen. I'm sad to be writing this.

I'm a brother from Miami,FL and I don't see nothing wrong with you being "white and proud".That's your prerogative and I have no argument about that not even dismissing the history of the Klan and to Blacks and Latinos as well as Whites.However not everyone isn't like that

Forrest city school district has a bus that goes to widner. About a month ago my next door nieghbor got on the bus and threatened to kill all the white kids on the bus. Every day since then his wife has been allowed to ride on the bus. You think the klan will stand up in this case? My granpa and his for fathers were all klans men. It is a travisty that even my grandpa 83 by the way has little faith that they will. They city nor the state seem very concerned, But then all the people you get to talk to are black, I know I called my self along with sevral conserned parents.

Don't be ridiculous. You think Asia is only for Asians, and Africa only for Africa? and White countries for white people? First thing first, we live in a globalized world. Go to Asia, you'll see asians in Majority, go to Africa, the africans will be in the majority and in "white countries", whites are the majority. But there will always be other races! It is only natural to diverse ourselves. And if you want to actually be in a "white country", go to Europe. America was meant for the Native Americans anyway.

The low world-wide White birthrate of perhaps 1.4 children per couple is in large part a result of demoralization and insecurity. When Whites once again feel in possession of their own societies and lives, births rate will go up.
Being taught since the first grade that one's own race is bad has an inevitable effect on a person's natural desire to have children, whether that connection is consciously felt or not.

If African countries suddenly had low birth rates, would you insist on flooding those African countries with non-Africans and forcing Africans to integrate with the non-Africans so as to "assimilate," i.e. intermarry and be blended out of existence?

And if any African objected to that genocide of his people, would you tell him that the genocide of his people was justified because of history, karma or choice of low birth rate?
Why are Whites only targeted for this race replacement?
Its White genocide.

You are just making a psychopaths argument in favor of White genocide, that is, that there is no White race, so the extinction of the White race by various means is not genocide. So silly for the UN to hold and write the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide. Just a bunch of deluded people I guess.
--------–
When we have: Africa for Africans, Asia for Asians, White Countries for Everybody, what do we have overtime?

We have more and more non-whites in White countries since the right of Whites to exclusive territory is denied them.

We have fewer and fewer White people.

When we mix more non-whites and fewer Whites in the same living space, what do we get?

In time, White extinction. Its called White genocide because this does not happen by chance. It is being forced upon Whites just like a rapist does not take no for an answer.

So God did not create the KKK? You speaking with and for God now? KKK could be founded in religious or other fanaticism. You have something in common with these people. you should be a little easier on them, I feel.

I am really surprised that the kkk. However at the same time I am not. Even if everyone was the same color people would find something to hate about the somebody or people either their personalities, looks beliefs whatever. Race is not the problem its humans "sinful" nature that is. People will always treat others wrongly its sad but its true that's why this world is so full of corruption. Some people might think that they have never been racist but I bet anything that they have been mean to someone different than them.

Everyone deserves to have their own opinions and their own voice, but how is this group legally allowed to still be active? They have murdered, tortured, and tormented countless innocent people. It's not a crime to come from somewhere else or to have a different pigmentation. We are all humans, all brothers and sisters, and (Hello!) we share this planet. Oh, and I'm sorry (not sorry) the things in the Klan's past are unforgivable. A kinder, gentler klan? BS! There is no place for this hate if our species is to have any kind of productive future. Let them adopt a highway in the heart of Africa :)

Countless? Such violence by this group hardly compares to current black on white violence.

Let's look at a much larger issue in terms of crimes against humanity: white genocide.

When you force upon a declining white race (whites are not having enough babies to replace themselves), massive numbers of non-whites, to share the same homeland/living space, the end result is the elimination of the declining white race. Its inevitable (what will change?)
How is this not white genocide?
“Genocide involves the attempt to achieve the disappearance of a group by whatever means. It does not have to be violent, it could be a combination of policies that would lead to a certain group dying out.” Fraser-PM Australia ‘75-83

Some would like to reframe this and accuse the White race of suicide not genocide. Ok. So you would Allow suicide because the victim "wants" it? No, humane practice is to stop even suicides. But you seem to approve of the "suicide." Don't you see the psychopathic nature of your comment? Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-white.

What exactly would be horrible if the white race were in fact blended out as you say? Human beings will still exist until the Lord decides otherwise, whether they are "blended" or not. Skin color does not change or establish one human being from another. Ignorance does.

Well, the third world would be severely hurt. US exports 38% of worlds food. Probably most of the surplus food is produced by white people. since you seem to care more for non-whites than for white survival, that should give you a practical and ethical reason to help stop white genocide.

Does anyone here contribute to white race survival? What's wrong with white race survival? If not, how is that not anti-white behavior, deviant anti-white behavior? If you have any white children you love, why are you not defending them by opposing white genocide? Any white women you love? May not defending their wonderful beauty and uniqueness?

The problem is that who cares?? What if any race gets extinct or not? What makes you so special being a white race? IN a few thousand years, it will neither be black or white – but a brown race of human kind. It is a natural progression.

What you are saying is that you are a supporter of white genocide. Have you been so abused and dumbed down emotionally and spiritually that you actually believe in what you have said?
what has the white race done to lose its right to exist?

Could someone define "white" for me? If you are Italian, I guess you are white. What if you are from Greece, right next door to Italy? Are you white by the white-only definition? Some Greeks are pretty dark skinned. What about Turkey? It is very close to Greece. Are you still white if you are from Turkey? Which if the ex-Soviet Union countries are white, and which are consider "Arab" by the KKK?

I guess the new KKK needs to come up with a map or guide book that lets us know which "nationalities" are considered white. Truth is, over 1/2 the KKK members today probably have some non-white blood in their backgrounds. They just don't know it. The whole concept of a "pure race" is non-sense. There is no such thing.

That's funny that you mention that. They actually do have guidebooks and websites as well. Their definition of white is essentially of European descent. By that definition, I have to agree, the population of those who are strictly of European descent is thankfully reducing every year.

Maybe a better solution would be for these people of so called "pure" European descent to move to a European country..? And what gets me is they claim their mission is to stand up for the white race, yet.. immigrants, women, FREED slaves and even WHITE people were hung, murdered and beaten for not following the rules of the KKK...and now after decades of hearing nothing but bad things about them, they say, oh btw, this is our REAL mission, the ORIGINAL KKK had it ALL wrong...RIGHT, ok..whatever you say...

Have you always been antiwhite or just as a result of misspending of tax dollars on your public education?

Whites were here long before your non-white ancestors.

Its a good day to fight White genocide:
The WHITE GENOCIDE Mantra is a rebellion against the wholesale nonwhite invasion of white lands, a rebellion against the brutal attack on the political rights of white people,a rebellion against the theft of the inheritances of white people, and a rebellion against the cruel assault on the posterity of white people.
How is this not genocide:White countries flooded by non-whites.Whites are told be TOLERANT.Whites are forced to integrate.With assimilation we see the extinction of the White race.
Is there anything better to do than fight?

We all get paraniod jealousy who has more just like in the bible Kane /Abel seems like the kkk are men who can not control there emotions of violence towards people that are different .A problem that will never be solved a few years ago one of Adolf hitlers living family here in the USA a reporter found out he had Jewish blood and northen african blood DNA old fury had Jewish and African DNA .

You seem to be under the impression that only white people can be racists. "Anti- racist is codeword for anti-white." How bout black people that don't like the Chinese? Anti racism isn't just limited to white people.

Nikki, what are you talking about "blacks don't like the Chinese." I have never heard that one. I tell you what if we black people start trusting the KKK we'd be fools. The KKK spells EVIL to me, I for one will never forget how the KKK tried to wipe out the black race by hanging, burning, raping them at will. Just a bunch of nasty punks hiding behind their white sheets. I guess they've dropped the sheets but, still can't be trusted!

First of all, I'm black, and I don't have anything against Chinese people. I was just giving an example of a person from another race that doesn't like someone else because they are of a different race. When I used the example of what if there are some blacks out there that don't like Chinese people, I was straining the point that anti racism does not equate to hatred of white people, because white people aren't the only race of people that can be racists. I'm not saying all blacks don't like Chinese people

Granted, however lest we forget that the KKK also hated and acted upon that hatred toward the Jewish peoples as well? It is not BLACK/WHITE it is the hatred of race and religion that is encompassed within the ideals of the KKK

Black people, or any minority cannot be racist as they do not have a instifutional power. That is prejudice, everyone is prejudice. Next time you decide to call the kettle black, please do your research.

Since you say blacks cannot be racist, then anti-racist is a codeword for anti-white. You have just supported what is meant by the phrase, "ANTI-RACIST IS A CODEWORD FOR ANTI-WHITE."

"Everybody says the final solution to the RACE problem is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries to bring in the third world and assimilate with them.

Immigration, tolerance, and especially assimilation are being used against the white race.

All this immigration and intermarriage is for EVERY white country and ONLY white countries.

Anti-white is called anti-racist, but it leads to the disappearance of one race and only one race, the white race. The real aim of anti-racism is to wipe out the white race or make it a minority anywhere it exists.

Don't forget that right wing movements are heavily manned by govt agents. I wouldn't want to judge anything that is controlled and/or manipulated by govt forces. False flags and all that stuff. But for those who want the occasion to blame white people, KKK and others serve as a useful strawman and scapegoat.

They love to sterotype oher races. They act and talk like their race is some kind of God and does no wrong. Let's keep it real.....all human beings walk evey day with good and evil inside of them. It is about making the chose to do good instead of evil. In my opinion the KKK is the epitome of what evil and vile is all about. I have nothing agains white pride, but why use the KKK to set the example of what white pride stand for?

I in no way align myself with these fools and could really care less about all this racial pride and ethnic nonsense on either side of the house whether you are white or you are a minority. In the past 20yrs of this country's history however it has become evident that being "white" is a bad thing while being loud obnoxious or aggressive about being something else is "good" and "just". I cannot understand this. Yes minorities have suffered at the hands of white peoples a long time ago. That is over now but people feel the need to continue to drudge up the past or create and ongoing idea of oppression especially young people who themselves have never suffered at the hands of violent racism nor did their parents. And before any of you go and start making claims that I am some sort of racist I would just like to say I have been happily married to a minority for over 6yrs now and I am white. Everyone needs to stop with the nonsense and come together. When people "identify" themselves as separate or "special" from all others they are the racists. When they want to have their own college, or their own magazine, or their own holiday they are the racists, minority or white.

No other groups you'v mentioned had a consistent history of killing, raping, hanging people on a tree, or dragging people behind a car. Heck, this country used to discriminate against Irish. For what? Not being white enough? Go figure.

Not agreeing with the KKK here, but if you look at society today you're encouraged to be proud of who you are, everyone that is except for whites. If you're black and proud, that's awesome. If you're Hispanic and proud, that's awesome. If you're white and proud, that's racist. Whites are quickly becoming the minority in this country, and any attempt to be proud of who we are is considered offensive and racist.

"What history of murder does the KKK have in YOUR LIFETIME?" I live in Georgia, dummy. I can think of at least five men killed by those people in my long lifetime, two shot down on the street and the cops refused to act because a white man killed a black one. Wow, you are really naive.

Would be nice if any of the other responses addressed your question. That said, if white's had a pride day it would imply two things, first it would take away from the other groups sense of accomplishment and being special; second, it would imply that all groups are on equal footing, which weakens the arguement that minorities need special programs and treatment to accomplish those things that mainstream society considers valuable. I find it interesting of all the miniorities you don't see the Asian community need parades and pride days. They find pride in themselves and have out paced everyone in the US – kudos to them for taking on a victim mentality.

How you can be proud of something that isn't your achievement, that you had absolutely no influence on is beyond me. But maybe that's the point? To be proud of something that didn't require any effort of your own.

We have the NAACP, scholarships for "African Americans"' Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpeton, etc., which is acceptable. But, you name one thing that pertains to whites "only" and it is called racists. Give me a friggin break. I was born in Texas to white parents. My father is British, my mother is South African. All my Mother's family for the past 300 years was born in South Africa. Let me make mention, my mothers family is white as white can be. Does this make me African American? Um...hell no. I am white, white, white by U.S. census and any application pertaining to race. I cannot claim African American without getting some serious looks and flak. I can even trace my ancestors to the Maasai.

Prejudice is defined as "an unfounded hatred, fear, or mistrust of a person or group, especially one of a particular religion, ethnicity, nationality or social status."

As a person who actually grow up in Tennessee during the late 50's and early 60's. My single parent mom born and raised in South Carolina during the great depression in the late 20's. I would hear the real life stories she experienced being in a community that lived with and talk prejudice each and every day. One event in her house was when a housekeeper they had for many years was working one day in the home. My mom wanted to use the indoor bathroom to clean up. She surprisingly found the women (she described as black as night), was taking a bath in he family tube (a very white one at that). This was unheard of and forbidden at that time and place. My mom had other stories living in such a vile climate. Some were actually happy memories with black kids she played with. See children are not born prejudice, they are taught or live with examples how others are treated (or mistreated).

In these uncertain economic and socially divisive times, we adults must change our culture on person at a time. Starting with ourselves and then reaching out to others in our circle of influence.

Be Brave and of Good Courage. We are still the "United States of America". Let us prove it to this and future generations we will change.

"DO or DO NOT. There is no try." quote from Joda.

Let us unite under a banner of "Equality is the absence of prejudice."

As should all racial organizations and special interest groups. They only do one thing, seperate us from each other. There is definately a double standard in play. I would agree with the KKK spokesman on that topic.

Same Klan, different day. IF they truly wish to be taken seriously, IF they really mean what they say about "not hating anyone", they they would be wise to "repackage" the group and separate themselves from the HISTORY of the KKK at all costs. There is no point in trying to white wash (sorry for the pun) the KKK's torrid history. Anything else and they will be fighting an uphill battle. But seriously, can anyone imagine that someone who belongs to the KKK DOESN'T hate others? What would be the point of joining that group otherwise? I don't have any qualms about "white pride", we should be able to express ourselves as much as all other walks of life are allowed, but PEOPLE!, let's get away from the KKK stigma if any of you want to be taken seriously. I'm white and to me, the KKK is an embarrassment to my culture; like Nazis to Germany, like extremists to Islam. I would not be able to give any credence to their claims of being "kinder and gentler".

About In America

What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.